


501. I'll stop time for you (The second you say you'd like me to)

by SevlinRipley



Series: This is No-Terror Ground [7]
Category: It - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous Relationship Roles, Established Relationship, Father's Day, Gift Giving, Healing, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15490455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevlinRipley/pseuds/SevlinRipley
Summary: Father's day...!• Sunday; June 20, 1993





	501. I'll stop time for you (The second you say you'd like me to)

**Author's Note:**

> Chronologically, this [501] has replaced '469. But you already bought a ticket (there's no turning back now)' as part 7, because 469 occurs _after_ the events in 501.

This was the first time that walking up to Richie's front door had Eddie's heart racing. At least, in a very long time, and due to the actual idea of seeing Richie.

It had only been three days prior that Richie's words had wormed their way into his chest, and made him realize that maybe - maybe he could do something special for Richie. The only plans he'd had before that, were to spend the day with Bev and Ben, both, like himself, without a father. He would be heading to the barrens to meet them directly after dropping off his gift. Halfway to Richie's house, he'd clenched at his bumpy fanny pack, and sucked in a deep breath, wondering if what he was doing was just stupid, whether he should turn around and go to their meeting place early, forget about the work he'd put into everything.

By no means was his work perfect. But he'd done his best with a utility knife, sandpaper, a pair of scissors, a pen, and a red permanent marker. And short notice.

Even so, he knew it'd hurt if Richie wasn't... happy with it. Didn't understand. Which was silly, because even Eddie wasn't sure he fully understood the meaning behind everything. Was it just because of the excuse he'd thought up to tell Richie? Or was it because - because he felt the actual holiday hit close enough to home?

If Richie didn't even like it... If Richie thought the gifts were foolish, or that Eddie'd wasted his time - Eddie's breathing hitched slightly, as he'd taken another step forward on legs that felt as though they belonged to someone else.

And then there was the fact he'd be interrupting Richie's day with his own dad. Knowing Richie had work that evening, meant the Toziers would be celebrating earlier in the day, over lunch rather than dinner. Eddie promised himself to be quick, and frankly he felt a little like throwing everything at Richie the second the door opened, and then hurriedly biking away without any explanation whatsoever. So in the end, he wouldn't be ruining _that_ much of Went's day, right?

Eddie took another steadying breath as he lifted his fist to knock on the door. He felt his cheeks burning, even as he heard Richie yell, from inside the house, that he'd get the door. And then it was swinging open, and Eddie took a step back, looking down to the side. Willing himself to be calm. "Eds," Richie said, surprised as he stepped out and closed the door behind him, "Hey... Thought you had plans today. You okay?"

The only reason Richie wasn't immediately pulling Eddie into a hug was because of the look on Eddie's face. Tight and flushed, avoiding looking Richie in the face. It made Richie's stomach clench with worry, and he was about to pull Eddie into an embrace, anyway, when Eddie found his voice, and began unzipping the little pack at his waist with shaking hands.

"Well," Eddie said, on an intake of breath, before swallowing down the barrier sat in his throat, as he first pulled out the little heart-shaped rock he'd found by the quarry ages ago. He turned it over in his fingers for a moment, feeling more embarrassed by the moment, with the 'R & E' he'd marked over it's top in red. Then thrust it forward, to drop into Richie's palm should he offer it. "I. Have some things to give you."

"Oh," Richie said, eyebrows arching. He put forth his hand, opening it to watch, curious, as the stone fell from Eddie's fingers. Pulling his hand up and lifting it, he turned it over with his other fingers, a smile growing on his face bit by bit once he found the writing and took in its shape. " _Oh_ ," he said again, closer to understanding. Beginning to put two and two together. Why Eddie would be behaving so bashful, and giving him presents. "Ed _die_ , this is so _cute_."

Heart fluttering, Eddie felt his stomach flip and some of the nerves dropped from his shoulders. "Oh," he breathed, "Good. Cause - I have more. But you don't have to -"

Richie ducked his head down, to catch Eddie's eyes, cutting him off with more gentle curiosity, "Do you really have more? Can I see?"

He felt a little bit like he was talking to the Eddie he knew at age eight. A little bit contained, a little on edge. Overly careful with his words, afraid to misspeak. God, he hadn't seen that Eddie in so long... But here, in the air between them, Richie could see the slowly healing scars Sonia had clawed into Eddie's back all those years ago, that the losers had medicated with easy-going, reckless nature and encouragement. Play, and humor. Counter-claims against exclamations that certain activities were dangerous; his mommy told him so. By age eight, Eddie had been on his way out. Into the real world. Three years under his belt of hearing opinions other than his mother's. But he'd still been in the quick sand.

Tilting his head to the side, Richie bit into his lip. Because, oh. Maybe... that was why. Maybe Eddie chose to be of an age before speaking, not necessarily because he didn't know how to downsize it, but because by the time he was both small _and_ capable of speaking, everything he'd said was parroting his mother. Maybe Eddie didn't feel _safe_ there. Had to work through the freedom from before that age, that age of slow understanding, into his own version of bigger.

But then... why was (seemingly) eight-year-old Eddie standing before him, etched with insecurity, like he was doing something wrong?

Wary of concerning Eddie with a wrong expression, Richie turned his lips up to match the tone he'd just taken, curious, and soft, and assuring. Encouraging Eddie not to be worried about showing him what he had. He... wondered if Eddie even realized what he was doing, how he was acting.

Finally letting himself look at Richie, really look at him, Eddie felt his cheeks heat up from love, rather than the shame that had been staining them before. He felt his mouth turn up in tentative smile, and nodded his head. The next movements of his hands were more sure. He looked into the opening of his fanny pack to make sure he pulled out the right one first.

Richie couldn't help but sneak a peek, too, as soon as Eddie's eyes diverted from his gaze. His eyebrow twitched, as well as one corner of his mouth, holding back the slight, ticklish urge to laugh at what he saw. Of _course_ , he thought. Although he certainly didn't know _why_ , but of course Eddie's gift involved the pill cases he'd grown up so overbearingly familiar with.

It looked like Eddie had dis-assembled them. Seven of them, apparently, into pieces. Monday through Sunday, all in different colors. The first one Eddie offered him was pink, with a white 'M' stamped on. Again, with non-committal finger tips, and a drop of it into Richie's hand. Not forcefully giving, but allowing Richie's hand and gravity to do the work on his behalf. If Richie _wanted_ it to.

Fumbling over the idea of opening it, Richie, instead, lifted the translucent plastic up to let the light try and show him what was inside. He could see what looked to be tiny scrolls of paper stood vertically within, filling the rectangle out from corner to corner. Brows twitching in slight confusion, Richie looked back down at Eddie with a clearer smile, and asked, showing uncharacteristic patience, "Am I allowed to look inside? Or am I supposed to wait for Monday?" He finished by shaking the container in front of Eddie, with the 'M' showing.

Eddie nodded, then caught himself, and answered, "Monday. If you want."

Eyes going soft, Richie squeezed at the rock still held in his other palm, and said, "I want to do what you want me to do. Are all of those different days, Eds?" he asked, eyes pointedly looking into Eddie's pack. Eddie nodded again. "Neat!" Richie said, smiling wide, "So if I have one for each day, I bet you want me to open them on the right one, huh?"

"Well," Eddie said, half-sighing the word out, as his head lilted to the side. Then he gave a sharper nod. "Yeah, I think it's a better present, that way. See, I have them in a rainbow pattern," Eddie said, beginning to hand Richie them one by one, in color order. Red for Tuesday, orange for Wednesday, yellow for Thursday, green for Friday, blue for Saturday, and purple for Sunday. Richie's large hands came into good use as they fell between his two cupped palms, his own cheeks going pink as it dawned on him just how much work Eddie had gone to for him. Each little box filled with rolled up papers.

"Wow, Eds... these are so cool. You did this all by yourself?"

"Well, _yeah_ ," Eddie started. And Richie nearly lost it, stomach clenching tight around a laugh as Eddie began to roll his eyes. He had to bite his lips closed to keep it in all the way, but the urge grew softer, anyway, as Eddie caught himself, and began to flush again. "I mean. They don't come that way. At least, not the ones here."

"Right," Richie said, voice tight, trying not to sound mocking in any way, as he nodded, "I didn't think so. Eddie, this is amazing." Sincerity, in the end, drowned out the amusement he felt. Because, wow! If he'd tried to do anything like this, the plastic would've gotten all busted up, for sure. Even thumbing over the edges, he could barely tell where Eddie had to cut plastic away on either side. Nothing jagged left behind.

"Thanks," Eddie said, finally allowing himself to smile, for real, looking up into Richie's eyes as if to see some sort of reprimand there. But finding none, his shoulders dropped on a more relaxed breath. "I was really careful, you know. I had to wear work gloves because I was using a saw - Wait. No. Not a saw... a special knife."

With that Richie could tell a different side of Eddie's eight-year-old self was making an appearance. The secret little daredevil within, who always wanted to be impressively independent. Determined, strong, and capable. All while being deeply caring.

The little boy who, when Richie fell and scraped his knee, or whined because he thought he broke his wrist playing stick-ball when he slid to their make-shift Home Plate, forcefully picked up his leg and blew the pain away after pouring water over to flood out the rocks. Picked Richie's arm up in his two hands and gently turned Richie's wrist over to show him he still had range of motion and _hadn't_ broken it.

Who'd told Richie repeatedly, 'I keep telling you to tie your shoes, Richie, but you never ever listen. Don't you know how to double-knot?' And then proceeded to re-tie, securely this time, Richie's shoes _for_ him. Who shook his head as he massaged into Richie's palm and up his arm, gently, and said, 'Hey dickwad, we got one less person on our side. No one was gonna get you out if you'd just run like a normal person, to base, instead of acting like you're in the World damn Series, or something.'

Richie felt his chest growing tight at the sound of it. Something so familiar and also nostalgic. Eyes going impossibly warm as he looked Eddie over. The way his eyes had flared, once he'd allowed himself to peacock. Stepping over the danger of - parental rejection? Now that Richie had avoided showing signs of disapproval.

Swallowing, thick, back around the adoration in his throat, filling him up, Richie moved to pick up the end of his shirt with his pinky, pulling it out so that he could more easily cradle his gifts in his shirt instead, freeing up a hand to run through his curls as he looked back at Eddie. Shoulders hunching over, subconsciously protective over the lot he was holding at his middle. Feeling all but eight years old, himself, and in fucking _heaven_ over Eddie's desire to prove himself.

"Jeez, Eds, that's - I woulda botched it for sure, if I tried anything like this. You did incredible. Seriously, this looks - you'd think you'd bought 'em like this." Then, with a self-deprecating laugh he added, "I don't think I deserved all this hard work, but - _thank_ you. Is it okay if I see what's in Sunday's?"

"Uh..." Eddie said, eyes widening slightly. And there his skin was, tinging red again. Only this time Richie suspected it was something sweet again. Must've meant there was something _good_ awaiting him.

With a little smirk, Richie finally allowed himself to sit on the stoop.

Yeah, he should've been back inside by now, but his dad was engulfed in some sports show anyway. If anyone was going to berate him, it'd be his mother, and he'd be able to quell her with a simple, 'It was Eds, ma...'

In fact, Richie hadn't quite... explained the whole situation with Eddie, yet. Well, there were some things he doubted would ever be said. But he hadn't actually explicitly told his parents that he and Eddie were dating, either. Richie always kind of suspected his crush on Eddie had been apparent, growing up. Despite his every effort to try and talk about the rest of the losers just as much as he did Eddie, his mom always had this little laugh around her eyes, and in the corners of his lips when - when he'd realize he'd been going on about Eddie, specifically, a little too long.

Here they'd only been officially together for twelve days, but his mother's expression had turned even _more_ (annoyingly) knowing in the recent week. Like it was stamped on his forehead. So he might as well not hide it, if admitting Eddie's hold over him would mean not getting into trouble.

"What is it, Eds? You write me little love confessions?" he asked, eyes bright, and tone playful. Leave it to eight-year-old Eddie to get shy about having _feelings_ for Richie, after they'd already shared 'I love you' after 'I love you.'

Not that... Richie knew what Eddie - well. Not that Eddie even liked him back then. But Richie could imagine, anyway. 

There'd been plenty of times in the past that Richie'd gotten his hopes up, that way. Day dreamer brain reading too far into things, molding them into more. And then Richie'd have to scold himself and go find a way to distract himself, bodily. Usually by inflicting some kind of unnecessary pain by playing with rubber bands, or seeing if he could leap frog boulders. Climbing unfriendly trees that left red scratches all up and down his pale limbs.

Eddie, busying himself with zipping his fanny pack up, lowered his eyes again, to the cement below. "You're only supposed to read one paper at a time," was all he said. And Richie's face softened at that. Eddie'd wanted him to have a gift that kept on giving. He wondered how many little papers he'd been able to fit in each container. From the look of it, there were six at least. ...Six weeks straight of Eddie's thoughtful notes. If not more. He couldn't fucking wait to count them.

"Jesus, baby," he said, a little breathless, as he looked down at the capsules cradled in his lap, rock still firmly stuck into his palm.

He didn't see the way the name made Eddie's little cheeks bunch up in a soft, surprised smile. Since he'd - for some reason, felt a little more detached from Eddie ever since he knocked on the door. Any hang-ups eight-year-old Eddie had with himself... Richie may have unknowingly took onto _him_ self.

When they were eight, Eddie didn't enjoy being touched that much. Only allowed to do the touching, himself, and very rarely. It'd been a lot more teasing on Richie's part, not knowing how to handle, Eddie, really. Even now, he - he didn't really, fully know how to handle this Eddie. Years later, with Richie almost grown up. But some of his love, and some of his awe, at least, had broken through that. And whether he noticed or not, Eddie certainly did. Appreciated it.

"Thank you," Richie said, for a second time, before his eyes darted up. "I'm - is it okay if I wait till tomorrow. I want to start on the first day of the week. Is that - is it okay if I just enjoy your rock today?"

Nodding his head, a little jerky, Eddie bit into his lower lip and found himself having to lock his knee to keep from drawing the tip of his foot over nothing, on the walkway. "Yeah, but. So. They're to keep in your pocket on days you maybe won't see me as much, or if." Well, he didn't want to say if Richie was going to be missing him, because that sounded self-important. But that's what they were for, really. So that Richie could reach into his pocket and even if he couldn't read one of the notes Eddie'd written especially for him, he could know that they were there. The same for the rock, if maybe the pill cases were too big sometimes, or once he'd read all the papers.

"Oh," Richie said, softly, hand itching to reach out and pull Eddie closer. Brain racing over whether he could manage to pull Eddie into his lap _and_ keep from dropping any of the little trinkets already held there. Wanting to hold him so badly his chest hurt with it. "So kinda like... since you have to go hang out with Benny and Bev today, and I have to go to work, and when I start to miss you..." Not if. When.

At those words, key words, Eddie's eyes shot up. Wide, and eager to show his approval. Gratitude that Richie understood without Eddie really having to explain it. Glad it made sense. "Yeah," he said, more loudly than he'd spoken to Richie that day, "Then you can just remember that I." He cut himself off. The words, 'love you', dying in his mouth as he felt shyness swallow them up again. He felt fucking stupid for acting this way, couldn't even figure out why he was behaving so weird. But...

"I know you're not like... my - you know. Technically, or anything. But they don't have a day for what _ever_ you are and. Also." He'd thought about it and thought about it - with a much clearer mind than he had right now - and it made sense to him. It made sense, even though maybe it was (too) weird... But in a way, if Richie wanted to be, ever. Well, Eddie wouldn't mind. For sure, he wouldn't mind.

He just couldn't get the words out, though. "A-anyway, that's why I brought you these; I wanted you to know." To know Eddie wanted him, and loved him, and was thankful for him.

Technically. The word caught on Richie's heart like a hook. Eddie just wanted him to know...

Yeah. _Yeah, hey, wait a second..._

"Eds," Richie said, voice rough around the edges, as he picked up the bottom of his shirt again, folding it in closer to his stomach so he could easily widen the gait of his legs without losing anything. "Can you come here for a second?" he asked, holding his free hand out for Eddie.

Who took it, but not without looking away first, something nervous flashing ill over his features. Richie made certain his grip was light. A bare suggestion of movement as he brought Eddie in closer. Pride loosening his chest as Eddie naturally sunk to his knees on the step before him so he was at a familiar height.

Richie thumbed at the inside of Eddie's palm, and Eddie flinched just slightly as it tickled his nerves, there. He couldn't help the little smile that formed on his face, hand coming back into his lap, when Eddie's mouth twitched up, before the tickle ebbed away, and took his grin away with it. Looking serious once again. A serious little boy.

That's what Eddie had been. Tension in every movement, like someone was about to tug his string in the opposite direction and shout at him for thinking wrong, doing wrong, being wrong. Slowly, slowly, he had come out of that shell. Experiencing what it was like not to have someone tell him off at every turn, or assure him he was about to be gravely hurt for every mistake he might make, in life.

He tried not to get hung up on the idea of ditching work to go play with Eddie at the barrens, show him again, all over again, what he, as a child, should've known all along... _Fun_ did not equal danger. He wanted to see this little boy break out into a wide, helpless, breathless grin when he dodged being tagged. Small and quick and fearless all at once.

If Eddie was going to grow up again, a different way, the way he had deserved to grow up in the first place, he was going to have to take a couple steps back. Because this... that was (perhaps) brought on by the fear Richie would act as his mother might have, wasn't the right way. Too big of a leap. Richie thought, anyway.

Balancing his elbow on his knee, Richie very slowly brought his hand to the side of Eddie's head, thumb barely grazing Eddie's cheek bone in a stroke. "Okay, baby?" he asked quietly, fearing he'd see a twitch of fear, or maybe even something worse. The disgust that Eddie had sometimes gotten on his face when they were younger. When he was touched by what he deemed to be germ-ridden hands.

Instead, he saw longing, Eddie itching to melt into the touch. Reserved and holding back, which wasn't great, but still... Eddie's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed - his only response.

So Richie didn't do anything physical, just yet. He leaned forward, so that they were eye to eye, noses almost touching. "Eddie," Richie told him, eyes searching, before deciding on the way to say what he wanted to say. "This is the most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten, and you fucking did it all by yourself. You're - _awesome_."

His thumb continued in gentle sweeping strokes along the smooth skin of Eddie's plump little cheek. He held his gaze, and watched Eddie sweetly bite into his lower lip, unsure whether to take the compliment as truth, or deny it in 'humility.' Self-esteem-destroying humility he'd been taught day in and day out. 'Eddiebear, you don't know _how_ , let mommy do it for you instead. She knows better.' _She'll do it better. The right way. Like you never could, Eddie._

"Baby, I love you so much. I'm gonna keep one of these with me whenever I can; you did so good. I'm _so_ lucky, and _so_ proud of you. What did I fuckin' do to deserve you, huh?"

At that, Eddie finally relaxed into Richie's touch, pressing his hot cheek into Richie's palm. Silently saying he felt the same way, as he let his eyes fall closed, peace settling somewhere deep inside.

With his brow smoothed, and Eddie's hand coming up to cup the back of Richie's hand, Richie tilted his head up to press a kiss to Eddie's forehead, lingering with his nose in Eddie's hairline, and Eddie pressing up against him.

Richie eventually pulled back, a somewhat frantic little laugh falling from between his lips as he acknowledged that he was going to have to let Eddie go. The sun was getting lower in the sky and he really _had_ been away too long. Eddie might even be late in meeting their friends. And... Richie did have to get ready for work after shoveling a mid-afternoon dinner into his mouth. "Shit, Eds, you are the hardest person in the world to leave, you know that?" Eddie was looking up at him, head still tilted in his hold, soft and sweet, before he swallowed thickly and straightened back up. The idea of parting, hitting him, too. How...

Eddie's shoulders grew tighter around his neck, before he found his words. "Richie, uhm. I - love you, too." There, he said it.

Then he was gently pushing Richie's hand back to his own knee, and rising, dusting his legs off with hands he had the urge to wash, and bit into his lip as he looked back, reluctantly, at the bike in Richie's driveway before sighing. "I better go... I'm glad you liked your present."

" _Love_ d it," Richie said, correcting him, but he hoped, in a positive reinforcement kinda way. "Not as much as I love _you_ , but a _lot_ ," he said, finishing with a wink that had Eddie blushing all over again. Richie groaned under his breath and stood so that he could fiercely, quickly press a kiss to Eddie's cheek. "You're gonna have a good time with Haystack and Bev, okay? And I'll see you tomorrow. Right, baby?"

In true nostalgic fashion, that made Richie's stomach lurch with a laugh, Eddie wiped the kiss from his cheek off with the back of his hand, but was clearly smiling as he did so. "Yeah, I'm gonna have a good time," he answered, more confidently, before his voice grew shy again. "You're gonna come over tomorrow?"

Richie licked out at his lips and nodded. "Yeah, baby, I'm gonna come over tomorrow. So unlock your window for me?"

Nodding, Eddie began to back up, then offered a short, obviously heavy and reluctant wave, before going to his bike. Richie watched as he rolled down the driveway, and off, swallowing thickly at the knots in his chest. Left with the need to _let go_ before returning to his family.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes
> 
> BIG thanks to @itsfreakingstrange (tumblr) for suggesting the rock be heart-shaped, and for suggesting that Eddie put notes in a pill case for Richie as a gift when I mentioned Father's Day! SO CUTE.
> 
> Uh yeah! So lmaooo I did not plan for ~eight-year-old Eddie AT ALL. OOPS. Where'd this little boy come from?! Dw, I'm sure Eddie's gonna come down from it before he reaches the Barrens. And if he doesn't, well... Who's to say Bev and Ben won't be up for an impromptu game of (what-is-happening-right-now) tag? [Pfft this fic was supposed to be an actual fic of Bev/Ben/Eddie being friends who love each other on a difficult day of the year, but........ Oof. No one really read the Richie and Stan friendship part anyway, so I guess it's okay. Sorry to my babies though! Friendship is important!]
> 
> So if you don't know, there are lots of Littles who focus on being one age range, but there are also those who vary. I think in this case, Eddie's variation came out of perceived necessity. He's doing an act of kindness for someone because of their relation to him _when_ he's _really_ little, that he can't really do at the age in which he normally experiences that relationship. And of course, as explained, the pattern of rejection and disapproval his mother has shown him because he's about to give another caregiver figure a gift that could really end up hurting his feelings as they've been hurt in the past.
> 
> It wasn't exactly a ~helpful regression, but I think Eddie could do it, subconsciously, because deep down he knew that Richie would give him the validation he needed, because Richie is NOTHING like Sonia.
> 
> Oh, one more note. In case this didn't come across, Richie's 'hey wait a second moment' is because um Eddie's his little boy, so why is he being so timid about showing affection?! So he decides to just be very careful, but still try.
> 
> By the way... In case y'all didn't know, you can interact with me anonymously [here](https://jacksbrak.tumblr.com/ask) if you want. I don't know if anyone in the ABDL/AgePlay (I'm not saying AgeRegression because I do kink and don't want to offend or trigger) community actually stops by here? But if you do, just know my blog is a safe place and I get super sappy and lonely for people who understand what the fuck I'm passionate about.


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